subverting the "captured damsel" trope

[The Crimson Binome]

You could always have the damsel break free and slay her captor prior to the party getting there. If you're going to subvert a trope, then you might as well subvert an entire boss fight.

 

[MarkB]

You could go with the "I don't want to be rescued" option - the 'damsel' is an intelligence operative, and getting captured was part of her plan to infiltrate the organisation.

She has her own escape plan ready to go, but not until she's retrieved the information she came for- which happens to be the same information the PCs wanted from her.

The PCs can best help her by providing a distraction, keeping the cultists busy while she completes her mission and escapes.

 

[CapnZapp]

Are you playing this thread straight, and are trawling for ideas, or is this very thread subverted, and you are indeed trolling for ideas...?

 

[birdchili]

Are you playing this thread straight, and are trawling for ideas, or is this very thread subverted, and you are indeed trolling for ideas...?

sigh... right then "trawling". I'm earnest, reely!

 

[GMMichael]

Let's take it in a Sigourney Weaver direction...

Female NPC captive is pregnant. Several months pregnant. But while she hates the priest, she loves her..."baby." Will the PCs allow an evil-lizard-god baby to be born? Will it kill the mother in childbirth, and then rip off some PC heads afterward?

 

[S'mon]

Given that she attacks the high level Cleric and may well save the party in the battle she's likely to be a popular character, I would leave her as-is.

 

[Zhaleskra]

Slay the evil princess and rescue the innocent dragon. Somebody had to say it.

 

[Bedrockgames]

So my group is going through Against the Cult of the Reptile God and will (likely) soon embark on an investigation of the corrupted temple full of evil cultists. Near the end of the area is a fairly critical NPC woman imprisioned and abused by the head (male) cleric. It's rightfully creepy and the adventure definitely suggests she'll take any opportunity given to attack her captor.

Problem is... The party recently rescued a young halfling girl from a yucky, obsessive, hugging, shaving-her-head-and-blood-painting-her-face kobold (the party let her loose on him later and she face-stabbed him).

So... while rescuing captured damsels is fine and all, it's already overused everywhere and I'd prefer to not start (continue) (over)doing it in my campaign. Easy solution would be to just make her a dude and keep the general obsessive creepiness of the situation, but any other ideas?

I agree with the poster that said subverting or inverting tropes has itself become a trope. But I think your basic issue is that you just recently had a rescue adventure and you don't want things to play out the same. That makes sense and I would suggest maybe having this be a trap (which was set precisely because the PCs have a reputation for rescuing people), or you could have it be a red herring.

 

[Starfox]

Maybe plant a few clues indicating she's there, but is in fact a monster or agent of evil? All the wile keeping her as she is. Perhaps she is under a curse that makes her register as being evil.

 

[birdchili]

Maybe plant a few clues indicating she's there, but is in fact a monster or agent of evil? All the wile keeping her as she is. Perhaps she is under a curse that makes her register as being evil.

yeah... even just giving her some not-obviously-good motivations beyond getting rescued/revenge... hrm...